Speed Running: Battling for Your Best Time

It’s normal to reach a plateau in your training once you’ve been running for a while, but you can break free. The fastest way out is speed running.

What is Speed Running?

Simply put, speed running is training to run faster. It’s also the next logical progression for runners who have established a comfortable pace and want to push themselves to the next best time. However, learning how to run faster also means pushing yourself beyond what you’re used to. When you do this, you’ll leave your comfort zone and start to feel new muscles aching. But in the end, you’ll reap the rewards with a better time.

To do it, you need to analyze your training plans and the gear you’re using.

Remember Your Personal BestWhen you’re trying to increase your speed, keep in mind your personal best. It’s a crucial element of getting faster and faster. The hours, minutes and seconds are a record of how fast you have been – and how much faster you want to be.

Going faster is easier if you have a target in mind. For example, you might want to aim for a better time in one of the classic long-distance races. Here are landmark times for the 10k, half-marathon and marathon.

10k – under 40 minutes

Half-marathon – under 90 minutes

Marathon – under 3 hours

Going below these benchmarks might mean going faster than you’re used to. But that’s part of battling yourself and overcoming your own limits. With faster times comes the satisfaction and joy of knowing you’ve never been quicker.

Track Your ProgressThe more you use Runkeeper™, the more it gives back. Updating your running performances gives you statistical analysis that can inspire you and help improve your times.

And once you’ve logged your times for some time, you can see how much faster you’ve become.

The next step, of course, is trying to go even faster…

Along with these tips to help you run faster, come shop our full collection of fast running shoes: